iOS 7 Copying Android; Familiar Look

iOS 7: Not Copying, Borrowing

Unless you hadn’t been online for the past few days, you’ve probably heard of Apple’s newest iteration of iOS. Apple completely redesigned and transformed their platform into something fresher. It has been noted, though, that the mobile OS seems to look similar to some of its competitors.

iOS 7 shows the biggest change to the look and feel of iOS since its inception and the redesign of the tired OS is being praised by Apple and Android fans alike. At its heart, iOS is still iOS, but it’s very clear that some of its functionality comes from features that its competitors have had for a while.

iOS and Android fans have always accused the other of copying features, but Apple’s newest version of iOS shows that the company definitely took ideas and features from many of its competitors.

Let’s take a look at some of the features that Apple obviously drew inspiration from.

Looks familiar…

The Lock Screen

The iOS 7 lock screen looks dramatically different from previous versions of iOS, bringing a simpler-looking page that looks surprisingly similar to the Android lock screen. The iOS lock screen mirrors what Android seems to have going on with Jelly Bean. The battery icon, the date and time, and even the font are all similar to what Android is doing with its lock screen.

Gestures

Swiping has always been a part of the iOS experience, but never in a way that allowed users to navigate around the OS. With iOS 7, its now possible to move around inside apps by swiping left or right from the side of the phone. Gestures in iOS are similar to what is offered in BB10.

Multi-tasking “Cards”

After years of complaints, iOS finally has a new multi-tasking experience. The only problem is…it’s almost an exact copy of Microsoft’s offerings. iOS 7′s card-style UI shows a full preview of apps that are running. This is a feature that exists in almost all mobile OSs now.

Control Center

Beginning in iOS 7, Apple is introducing Control Center, a central location for quick settings for things like Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, rotation lock, and even a flashlight. Does that sound familiar? It should. TouchWiz and other Android custom skins have had this forever now, and since Jelly Bean, so has stock Android.

The similarities definitely don’t stop there, but it would certainly take forever to comb through iOS 7 and list all the similarities. iOS 7 remains a beta product and its possible that some of these similarities may change between now and the release; even so, Android users might feel a hint of déjà vu the next time they borrow an iPhone.